February 17-22, the Rhodes Singers performed a choir tour of Washington, D.C. The Singers originally considered touring Coloradoo, but when conductor, William Skoog, was invited to conduct for the Presidents’ Day Choral Festival, their plans changed.
45 of the 60 Rhodes Singers attended the tour. Their time was divided between performances, rehearsals, and a little sightseeing on the side. There was little sleep, a little sickness, and many lost voices in the end. But more than great performances and remarkable places, in the end, the singers grew as a group. Stephanie Milazzo, treasurer for Singers, said the tour made the Singers realize their “collective will for excellence.”
The Singers had a busy 4 days. They arrived at their hotel, in Virginia at 1 a.m. on Friday morning. They were on a bus by 8 a.m., heading to central D.C. The first night they performed at Vienna Presbyterian Church in Washington. The next morning they performed again in St. Patrick’s Catholic Church. Sunday afternoon they were back in performance at the National Cathedral. And on Monday afternoon they closed out the tour at the Kennedy Center, one of the nation’s busiest performing arts centers, for the National Presidents’ Day Choral Festival.0
Between performances, the singers spent a total 12 hours in rehearsals.
But the time put in showed out in the concerts, especially that at the Kennedy Center. At the preceding church performances, the Singers did many religious pieces, ranging from classical (“Ave Maria”) to gospel (“In Dat Great Giddin’ Up Mo’nin’”) to more modern (“Music Down in My Soul”). But the lineup for the Kennedy Center was different. In honor of President’s Day, they performed some patriotic songs, such as Stroope’s Homeland. They also performed Agnus Dei (Barber)and their final piece, Memorial.
Memorial was written by Rene Clausen in tribute to the victims of September 11. The piece vocally portrays the 9/11 trin tower tragedy. During the crashing a soloist pleadingly sings, “Adonai,” a Hebrew name of God. One singer recounted not being able to look at the audience knowing they would not be able to continue singing. Secretary of Singers, Kenneth Scott, noted a number of singers did have to stop singing. All 3 officers, Stephanie Milazzo, Nicole Baker, and Kenneth Scott agreed, “It was an intense piece.”
Memorial concluded their Washington tour. However, they stayed in the area an extra day and continued with some sightseeing: they had placed a wreath at the Arlington National Cemetary’s Tomb of the Unknown soldier, visited Mount Vernon, Ford Theater, and a few of the many monuments in Washington. It’s difficult to go to Washington, D.C. and not feel patriotic, but the Singers’ performance of Memorial added to the landscape of Ford Theater, Mount Vernon, Capitol Hill, and Arlington Cemetery (which they visited on Friday), shows the deep tradition and current vitality of national sentiment and pride.
But the tour was not about performance, or patriotism, or sightseeing. Nicole Baker, Vice President of Singers said, says that the tour was about “being together, singing together.” For Nicole, the best part of the trip was the rehearsal before the Kennedy Center performance; it was “the best singing experience on the trip.” The Singers found the most value in being together and learning what it meant to sing together.
Delirious, tired, and having half the voices they came with, the Singers closed the tour singing in Washington Reagan Airport, returning home. The Singers gathered around and sang “In Dat Great Giddin’ Up Mo’nin,” a gospel piece they frequented in their D.C. performances.
For Kenneth Scott, secretary said, the tour upheld the tradition of Rhodes Singers. He states singers has always had a great reputation, but D.C. validated that. They “upheld the tradition that is Rhodes Singers.”